When using student response systems, what issues should I be aware of?
Student response systems (clickers) allow instructors to pose questions to the class and to gather and display answers in real time through radio frequency technology. For more about specific devices at Indiana University, see At IU, what options exist for student response devices?
Pedagogical research
A growing body of literature about student response systems is available from the Teaching & Learning Technologies Centers; see the "Articles of Interest" section on their Clickers page.
Caution on giving exams
Turning Technologies' TestingPoint software, when used with the ResponseCard XR, allows students to enter answers to questions at their own pace. However, because you have no hard copy of students' answers (unlike with Scantron), you should not use TestingPoint for high-stakes assessments without a backup plan (e.g., also requiring students to hand in a hard copy of the exam with their answers marked).
If you are an instructor and would like more information about using student response systems in your classes, contact your campus teaching and learning center.
Last modified on June 29, 2009.
